The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Public Good and Public Bad Games: Evidence From a tDCS Study
Although humans constitute an exceptionally cooperative species that is able to collaborate on large scales for common benefits, cooperation remains a longstanding puzzle in biological and social science. Moreover, cooperation is not always related to resource allocation and gains but is often relat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.666002/full |
| _version_ | 1819090904758091776 |
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| author | Yuyou Chen Yuyou Chen Xinbo Lu Yuzhen Li Yuzhen Li Lulu Zeng Lulu Zeng Ping Yu Ping Yu Jun Luo Jun Luo Hang Ye Hang Ye Wanjun Zheng Wanjun Zheng |
| author_facet | Yuyou Chen Yuyou Chen Xinbo Lu Yuzhen Li Yuzhen Li Lulu Zeng Lulu Zeng Ping Yu Ping Yu Jun Luo Jun Luo Hang Ye Hang Ye Wanjun Zheng Wanjun Zheng |
| author_sort | Yuyou Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although humans constitute an exceptionally cooperative species that is able to collaborate on large scales for common benefits, cooperation remains a longstanding puzzle in biological and social science. Moreover, cooperation is not always related to resource allocation and gains but is often related to losses. Revealing the neurological mechanisms and brain regions related to cooperation is important for reinforcing cooperation-related gains and losses. Recent neuroscience studies have found that the decision-making process of cooperation is involved in the function of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the causal role of the VMPFC in cooperative behavior concerning gains and losses through the application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We integrated cooperation-related gains and losses into a unified paradigm. Based on the paradigm, we researched cooperation behaviors regarding gains in standard public good games and introduced public bad games to investigate cooperative behavior regarding losses. Our study revealed that the VMPFC plays different roles concerning gains and losses in situations requiring cooperation. Anodal stimulation over the VMPFC decreased cooperative behavior in public bad games, whereas stimulation over the VMPFC did not change cooperative behavior in public good games. Moreover, participants’ beliefs about others’ cooperation were changed in public bad games but not in public good games. Finally, participants’ cooperative attitudes were not influenced in the public good or public bad games under the three stimulation conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T22:31:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-29b1d6ff91e3482bb6665f17d380a346 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T22:31:15Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-29b1d6ff91e3482bb6665f17d380a3462022-12-21T18:48:04ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532021-08-011510.3389/fnbeh.2021.666002666002The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Public Good and Public Bad Games: Evidence From a tDCS StudyYuyou Chen0Yuyou Chen1Xinbo Lu2Yuzhen Li3Yuzhen Li4Lulu Zeng5Lulu Zeng6Ping Yu7Ping Yu8Jun Luo9Jun Luo10Hang Ye11Hang Ye12Wanjun Zheng13Wanjun Zheng14Center for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaSchool of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaSchool of Economics, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, ChinaCenter for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaSchool of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaCenter for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaSchool of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaCenter for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaSchool of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaCenter for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaSchool of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaCenter for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaSchool of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaCenter for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaSchool of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, ChinaAlthough humans constitute an exceptionally cooperative species that is able to collaborate on large scales for common benefits, cooperation remains a longstanding puzzle in biological and social science. Moreover, cooperation is not always related to resource allocation and gains but is often related to losses. Revealing the neurological mechanisms and brain regions related to cooperation is important for reinforcing cooperation-related gains and losses. Recent neuroscience studies have found that the decision-making process of cooperation is involved in the function of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the causal role of the VMPFC in cooperative behavior concerning gains and losses through the application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We integrated cooperation-related gains and losses into a unified paradigm. Based on the paradigm, we researched cooperation behaviors regarding gains in standard public good games and introduced public bad games to investigate cooperative behavior regarding losses. Our study revealed that the VMPFC plays different roles concerning gains and losses in situations requiring cooperation. Anodal stimulation over the VMPFC decreased cooperative behavior in public bad games, whereas stimulation over the VMPFC did not change cooperative behavior in public good games. Moreover, participants’ beliefs about others’ cooperation were changed in public bad games but not in public good games. Finally, participants’ cooperative attitudes were not influenced in the public good or public bad games under the three stimulation conditions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.666002/fullcooperation behaviorcooperation beliefventromedial prefrontal cortextranscranial direct current stimulationgains and losses |
| spellingShingle | Yuyou Chen Yuyou Chen Xinbo Lu Yuzhen Li Yuzhen Li Lulu Zeng Lulu Zeng Ping Yu Ping Yu Jun Luo Jun Luo Hang Ye Hang Ye Wanjun Zheng Wanjun Zheng The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Public Good and Public Bad Games: Evidence From a tDCS Study Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience cooperation behavior cooperation belief ventromedial prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation gains and losses |
| title | The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Public Good and Public Bad Games: Evidence From a tDCS Study |
| title_full | The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Public Good and Public Bad Games: Evidence From a tDCS Study |
| title_fullStr | The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Public Good and Public Bad Games: Evidence From a tDCS Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Public Good and Public Bad Games: Evidence From a tDCS Study |
| title_short | The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Public Good and Public Bad Games: Evidence From a tDCS Study |
| title_sort | role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in public good and public bad games evidence from a tdcs study |
| topic | cooperation behavior cooperation belief ventromedial prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation gains and losses |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.666002/full |
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